Danielle Bellino

Social Media Manager, Twin Jewelers

Class of 2024
BBA in Digital Marketing

Internship: Marketing/Public Relations Intern, Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley

Pronouns: She/Her

When Danielle Bellino landed her internship with the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley, she knew she'd be getting hands-on experience in a welcoming environment. What she didn't expect was how much her work would impact dozens of local families in need. She'll now head into her next semester at the Lubin School of Business, not only with real-world experience, but with a greater understanding of how marketing can make a major impact.

How has the Lubin School of Business helped you prepare for your current internship?

Amazing Lubin professors, such as Professor Jim Davis, have helped me prepare for this internship. My professors are always available to help in preparation for interviews, give detailed feedback on resumes, and aid in preparing students for real-life situations in the business world.

What attracted you to this internship?

I was attracted to this internship because I had heard how welcoming the work environment is from previous interns, and how much experience I would gain from working under the supervisors at the Ronald McDonald House. It is a very hands-on internship where I'm free to implement my own ideas into the work I'm doing.

Describe what a typical day looks like as an intern at the Ronald McDonald House.

This is a hybrid internship, so I work from home, as well as in the Ronald McDonald House, where families of sick children are living. Typically, I start my day by going over what I completed during the previous week with my supervisor. Then, we work together to come up with the tasks I will complete during the upcoming week. Being that the Ronald McDonald House is a non-profit organization, most of my work is aimed at encouraging donations through social media posts on multiple platforms. I do this by filming and shooting content at the House with families who live there and with other people and organizations that donate supplies or money to the House. We also have a program in which people come and cook meals for the families, so I shoot content for that as well. Another major responsibility is aiding in planning upcoming events. I curate lists of possible donors, local businesses who may be interested in donating to events or promoting them with flyers, and potential vendors for activities at the events themselves. It has been my duty to reach out to them, and I have found that many are willing to help.

What has been the highlight or most enjoyable aspect of your internship so far?

The most enjoyable aspect is that my work is directly helping the families that live at the Ronald McDonald House. They are facing such a traumatizing moment in their lives—their child being extremely ill—that most parents could not even fathom. It is amazing to talk to them and gain insight into their experiences and how living in the house makes the experience more comfortable. The sense of community that has been formed between the families is heartwarming to see.

How has this experience shaped or impacted your career goals?

Whether or not I work in the non-profit space in the future, I will always remember the fact that marketing has such a huge impact on the well-being of a small business. Just from one post on social media, we are sometimes able to connect with donors who brighten the days of families or curate events that do the same. Also, the hands-on aspect of this internship has given me so much insight into what I will be doing in the future and has only made me more excited to work in the marketing field.

Whether or not I work in the non-profit space in the future, I will always remember the fact that marketing has such a huge impact on the well-being of a small business. Just from one post on social media, we are sometimes able to connect with donors who brighten the days of families or curate events that do the same.

How will this experience impact your next semester at Lubin?

Having such an amazing first internship has given me even more ambition to want to continue to gain experience within the marketing field. It has also made me want to gain more knowledge. I'm so excited for next semester at Lubin and will be a part of the Lubin Business Association in the hopes of inspiring other marketing students to do the same.

Do you have any advice for other Lubin students who would like to pursue an internship in the future?

My advice would be to work closely with your professors and Career Services to curate professional relationships with them. Because of my Lubin professors and Career Services, I was extremely prepared for applying to internships and, as a result, having successful interviews. Never be afraid to ask questions or for help because you never know the opportunities you may get out of them.

Connect With Danielle:

• Connect with Danielle Bellino on LinkedIn
• Follow Danielle Bellino on Instagram

Growing up in Harlem, New York, Haub Law student Decnis Pimentel experienced racial injustice first-hand. In part, these experiences led her to law school with the goal of pursuing a career in law to create change and have an impact on our system. “I am a huge believer in being the change you seek and pursuing a career in the law allows for the unique position of being able to help a range of individuals from all backgrounds regardless of their race or economic status. Lawyers have the ability to create change for the greater good of society and I look forward to having a career in law doing just that.”

Decnis is already breaking barriers in her own family. “I am a first-generation student in my family and will be the first lawyer in my entire family. I am Dominican and the oldest of three children. My mother is one of my biggest sources of power. Her resilience and the sacrifices she has made is one of the many reasons I am here today. I am proud of who I am and my background. I want to serve as an example for women of color and Latinas who come from similar backgrounds and show them that regardless of the stereotypes or labels society may want to place on you, you are in control of your own future and are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to.”

"I want to serve as an example for women of color and Latinas who come from similar backgrounds and show them that regardless of the stereotypes or labels society may want to place on you, you are in control of your own future and are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to.”

Currently, a resident assistant in Haub Law’s Dannat Hall, Decnis is also an active member of the Latin American Law Students Association and the Black Law Students Association. This past fall, she also interned with the Pace Women’s Justice Center. “It was a humbling and empowering experience. I learned a lot, both legal and life lessons.”

Decnis also feels fortunate to have experienced having Professor Randolph McLaughlin during her 1L year, who she notes has “inspired” her. “Taking Professor McLaughlin’s torts class during my 1L year and learning about his extensive career as a lawyer has inspired me and showed me that the work done as a lawyer really does have an impact and can create change in our system. He shared stories about his career, how he navigated being a black man who is a lawyer and the obstacles he faced throughout his career. Learning about his path and how he persevered motivated me to push through a very stressful 1L year.”

Decnis is pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Health Law and Policy while at Haub Law. So far, aside from her classes, her favorite thing about the Haub Law experience is the people. “Everyone here is extremely welcoming and willing to give a helping hand.”

When asked about her advice for others who may pursue a law degree, Decnis said, “trust yourself and have confidence in your potential. Bet on yourself. Do not compare your journey or story to the person next to you. You have gotten to the current place in your life because of your own talent, knowledge, and potential! You are the change you seek.”

As for the immediate future, Decnis is keeping her eye on the prize: graduate law school, pass the bar, and land a job in a law firm where she can create change. “I truly believe what I said, you are the change you seek, and I am confident that using the tools I have been given so far at Haub Law, I will fulfill my dream of graduating and having a positive impact on our system.”

On May 16, 2022, Pace University celebrated the Classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 in the first in-person commencement ceremony in three years at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. It was also the first time that the Westchester, New York City, and Elisabeth Haub School of Law commencements were combined in one ceremony. Throughout the day, the center plaza was bustling with beaming graduates and proud loved ones snapping photos, listening to music from a live DJ, and enjoying treats from food trucks.

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The day began with an opening ceremony for all graduates in Arthur Ashe Stadium, where New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivered the Commencement Address and was conferred an honorary doctoral degree. Graduates then crossed the stage at separate ceremonies dedicated to each School and College, with the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education hosting a combined ceremony in the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Addressing graduates in person for the first time since joining Pace in 2020, Dean Tresmaine R. Grimes, PhD, encouraged students to be present and honor their achievements. “I want you to remember today, clearly, happily, and with pride,” she said. “Savor every moment – capture them so that your reflections on your accomplishments are seared vividly in your memory. Those memories will carry you forward in all that you do.”

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Dyson College student speaker and Scholastic Achievement Award winner Chloe N. Mayhew (pictured above) spoke to her peers about her evolution from a first-year student focused on her own journey to an empathetic, open-minded life-long learner. “As liberal arts graduates, we have acquired the tools to act as change agents, to promote the betterment of civilization,” she said, adding, “Over my past four years at Pace University, I have come to realize how little I truly know about our world, and that a wise person knows that they are never done learning.”

Dyson faculty and students were recognized for their accomplishments with university-level awards at Commencement, while college-level awards were presented at on-campus award ceremonies in the days leading up to Commencement.

Faculty Awards

Distinguished Professor

• Ellease Ebele N. Oseye, MFA, English

Kenan Award for Teaching Excellence

• Matthew Marcello, PhD, Biology (New York City)
• Anna Shostya, PhD, Economics (New York City)
• Ramon Emilio Fernandez, PhD, Math (Pleasantville)

Student Awards

Trustee Award

Presented to the graduating student whose positive contributions to University life and academic accomplishments exemplify the highest level of achievement attainable for an undergraduate.

• Maria Elisa Escobar, Women’s and Gender Studies

Community Service Awards

Presented to the graduating students whose active contributions to the life of the University community and to the endeavors of our neighbors in the surrounding community and most admirably embody an appreciation for the value of social responsibility.

• New York City: Alexandra Marie Kennedy, Sociology and Anthropology
• Pleasantville: Irach’e “Shea” Teague, English

Charles H. Dyson Award

Presented to the outstanding member of the Society of Fellows of Dyson College.

• Isabelle A. LaBianco, Economics

Scholastic Achievement Award

For excellence in scholarship, effectiveness in class discussion, research, and outstanding performance in a baccalaureate degree program.

• New York City: Torah Lenge Muyambo, Political Science
• Pleasantville: Chloe N. Mayhew, Political Science

Graduate Student of the Year

Presented in recognition of scholarship and exceptional dedication to the ideals of their school.

• Alexis Nicole Ferguson, Psychology

When Adam Ng was looking at schools four years ago, Pace University’s film program stood out. The 21-year-old from South Brunswick, New Jersey, recalls seeing a wall of film posters from student-made documentaries from around the world. And in that moment, Ng was sold.

“I knew I wanted to come here and make films,” he says.

“No other college had a documentary class,” Ng continues. “No other school had a program where you create a documentary in five months, and you get all of this hands-on experience…You can’t get that anywhere else.”

Ng, now a senior majoring in digital cinema and filmmaking and interning at ABC’s The View, credits the documentary class, and the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences with providing him the lessons, know-how, and gritty filmmaking experiences that are readying him for a career in television.

“No other school had a program where you create a documentary in five months, and you get all of this hands-on experience…You can’t get that anywhere else.”

This past semester while filming on-location throughout New York, Connecticut, and Cape Cod for the program’s latest documentary, Tide to Table: The Remarkable Journey of Oysters, Ng and members of the crew had to work with changing weather patterns and tides, unpredictable background noises while filming, impossible lighting, in-depth interviews, and crushing deadlines, among a host of other issued faced by professional filmmakers in a typical production.

“I learned a lot,” Ng says. “I have the knowledge and understanding of what it’s like to be filming in an environment that is not controlled, one where you have to think on the fly.”

That’s precisely the point of the class, says Professor Maria Luskay, EdD, who has led student productions around the world since 2000. Now, along with Professor Lou Guarneri, they combine both undergraduate and graduate classes.

Their latest production, Tide to Table, documents how oysters rely on the ebb and flow of the tide for flavor. It explores the serendipitous relationship between nature, oyster farmers, modern aquaculture technology, and a movement to better understand their ecological value, while showing how oysters are thriving in areas such as Cape Cod and being restored in once depleted regions such as Connecticut and New York City as a means of improving water quality.

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The film premiered to a full house at Jacob Burns Film Center in May and is being shown at three movie venues (all sold out) throughout Cape Cod in June. An online premiere is scheduled for June 27.

“It’s been a truly gratifying experience to be filming with students on location and sharing this experience with them once again,” says Luskay. “Throughout it all, we brought together a diverse group of students with a full schedule of work. In the process, we not only learned first-hand about the plight of the oyster farmer braving the elements, but also the grit and determination required to complete the film on a tight deadline. It was an incredibly rewarding experience for us.”

June 23, 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. This is an important milestone in the history of both civil rights and higher education in this country, and one well worth celebrating.

Title IX is best known for transforming collegiate athletics in the United States—and, from there, all of sports. But that was not its original goal. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as it is formally known, was designed to open doors for women across higher education. And by doing that, it didn’t just transform athletics; it also helped create new opportunities for generations of women in America.

Before Title IX, women were often excluded from certain high-status educational programs, like medicine or law. Women college students received fewer scholarships than their male counterparts. Women faculty were denied tenure at a greater rate than men. And in 1970, before Title IX was passed, only 8 percent of adult women in the United States were college graduates in 1970, compared with 14 percent of men.

Today’s higher education landscape is entirely different—thanks to Title IX and the leaders and advocates who fought for its passage.

Check out these resources:

• Events and Exhibits
• Programming
• Articles

Visit

Title IX: Activism On and Off the Field
New-York Historical Society | Now through September 4, 2022
A new exhibition immerses visitors in the spaces shaped by the groundbreaking 1972 legislation and reveals the crucial work of activists in demanding that their institutions live up to the law’s promises. Displays document the work of activists across the country whose personal experiences with sex discrimination in education and professional careers within federal government agencies made them uniquely qualified to advocate for meaningful regulations for Title IX and to defend the law against amendments intended to weaken it. Personal items, photographs, and a re-creation of a campus kiosk advertising Take Back the Night demonstrations over the last 30 years convey the passion and commitment of student activists.

Watch and Listen

ESPN’S Fifty/50
The Fifty/50 initiative commemorates the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational institution that receives federal funding, and gave women the equal opportunity to play sports. Throughout June, ESPN will present a collection of stories focused on the intersection of women, sports, culture and the fight for equality.

NPR’s Benching the Patriarchy: 50 Years of Title IX
Fifty years ago, Title IX banned discrimination based on sex in educational institutions. College sports had to change. Host and former NPR correspondent Emily Harris presents the story of coach Jody Runge, who drove that change in the women's basketball team at the University of Oregon, which is a powerhouse today. Harris teamed up with audio journalist Ida Hardin to report this story.

In Their Court
In Their Court, an NBC Sports and NBC News podcast that launched in May, examines the evolution of Title IX through women’s basketball, 50 years after the historic law passed. US Olympic fencing bronze medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad hosts the five-part series that looks at why the gender gap still exists.

Read

• Title IX at 50: How it Changed Congress, Campuses and Sports
• What 50 Years of Title IX Has—And Hasn't—Accomplished
• 50 Years of Title IX: How One Law Changed Women’s Sports Forever
• USA TODAY Answers Your Questions About Title IX and Its Role in College Sports
• New Book Explores the Trailblazing Life of Hawaiʻi Politician and Title IX Champion Patsy Mink

League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros Ultimate. These online, multi-player games have long offered a way to unwind and bond with friends, and their popularity is only growing. In fact, according to a recent report by Inside Intelligence, there will be nearly 178 million monthly gamers in the US this year (read: about half the US population). But these games are more than just a casual hobby at Pace—they’ve become the backbone of our new Esports Program. And the Pace gamers (nearly 250 strong) are in it to win it.

Late last year, Pace announced the launch of the official Esports program as its 15th varsity sport (alongside the more traditional football, basketball, and field hockey teams), but Pace’s Esports community has been thriving since as early as 2015. Julia Cardillo ’22 joined the club in 2019 when it was run by Isil Ates ’19, ‘21. “Back then, it was a one woman show. She had a lot going for us. We would play 5 versus 5 in League of Legends, she would give out free prizes from companies like Riot Games, and she even had a partnership with G-Fuel Energy Drinks.” Some students gathered to practice for competitive play, but most were there for the sense of community.

“It’s taken overwhelming diligence and support from everybody, and I think that’s something that’s really unique about Pace.”

Cardillo is now the Vice President of the club, and one of her closest friends, Mahir Kamal ’21, is the coach for the League of Legends teams. They have been in the club since they were first-year students and are thrilled that the club is now an officially recognized varsity sport.

“Now that we have the University’s support, we can get stuff that makes the players feel like they’re actually competing - like jerseys and in person practice spaces,” says Kamal. “Just having the college back this program, it makes me and the players feel more involved and ready to try our hardest in these tournaments.”

Jesse Bodony is the newly appointed Director of the program, and his enthusiasm matches that of the student players. According to him, this new program is especially exciting because of the level of support from Pace. “It’s amazing, the energy and the drive that it’s taken for the program from conception—starting with Mark Brown from athletics four years ago, to Sue Maxam, Jonathan Hill, PhD, and other powerful voices along the way—to get it to where it now, live and engaging students,” he says. “It’s taken overwhelming diligence and support from everybody, and I think that’s something that’s really unique about Pace.”

While online gaming may seem like just a fun pastime, Pace’s Esports program is actually creating opportunities for students to compete, enrich their academic experience, and explore vocational pathways in the growing gaming industry.

“Watch us. In six months, we’re going to be breaking records.”

Cardillo, Kamal, and Bodony all expressed their happiness at yet another student-driven program that helps students come together in an increasingly digital world. Bodony says, “We want students to connect—whether you’re a competitive gamer that wants to join one of the teams, or a casual gamer that just wants to chill and find people to play with.” Cardillo lights up as she recounts casual gaming nights and the thrill of seeing club members become friends. “One of my favorite things is seeing people who didn’t know each other at all… and suddenly I see them hanging out on campus.”

But these teams aren’t here just to play. The Super Smash Bro Ultimate Gold II team reigned victorious over a previously undefeated team in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East Open Division Grand Finals. Kamal is convinced this new level of support and access to better resources will empower the teams to make waves in the industry. “Watch us. In six months, we’re going to be breaking records.”

Join the Pace Esports Discord Server to keep up to date with everything Esports, and show your support for the teams on their Twitch channel.